5 Restaurant Chains That Don’t Use Real Maple Syrup
Real maple syrup is an absolute treat and contains just one ingredient: Maple syrup. That’s it. Some brands are organic, others are not, but the ingredients list should never be longer than those two words. Many restaurant chains serve syrups that are flavored with maple but contain a host of additives, preservatives, and chemicals, some even claiming to be sugar-free—in other words, not maple syrup. There are many reasons for this, not least that real maple syrup can be very expensive at a time when many chains are struggling to make profits. Here are five restaurant chains where the syrup might taste good, but it’s not the real thing.
IHOP
IHOP does not have real maple syrup on the menu. The chain’s Old Fashioned Maple Syrup contains ingredients such as corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, preservatives, and other additives. It should be noted that while the ingredients list shows HFCS, the syrup caddy page says it’s now made without it. Some customers actually prefer the artificial taste. “I don’t get why people always have to insist ‘it’s because you don’t know better’ like what if they just genuinely prefer the taste of the fake stuff? People enjoy different things,” one Redditor said.
Denny’s
Denny’s only shares allergen information and not ingredients, but former employees on Reddit say the “Pancake Syrup” is made with high-fructose corn syrup. “It’s not ‘maple’ and it’s literally manufactured specifically for Denny’s –I am not a fan of its ingredients personally but that’s me (and I’m a former employee),” one said. Not using real maple syrup is one way to keep costs down for the customer, so it might balance things out that way.
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel does not use 100% maple syrup. “There are no artificial ingredients or preservatives in our syrup, an all-natural blend of 50% maple syrup and 50% cane syrup. We always serve it warm, in your own personal bottle,” the chain says. Apparently the chain used to use real maple syrup and stopped in 2009.
Waffle House
Waffle House also serves a maple syrup-like product rather than real maple syrup—it contains corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, maple flavor, and a laundry list of other additives. Some fans who love the Waffle House breakfasts will even take their own maple syrup with them to enjoy with their food.
Perkins
Perkins does not offer 100% maple syrup, but a corn syrup blend. The pancakes are said to be amazing though, so it might be worth taking your own syrup with you if you want to avoid the maple-flavored syrup being served… Or just skip it altogether and pick something that doesn’t need syrup on the menu.
